Editorials

Please? Maybe a Thank You?

Most KS-related conflicts, or conflicts of ANY kind, can be resolved or even avoided completely with a little thing called "courtesy." I've found in many situations, that a group will gladly share an area with you if you take the initiative to actually ask the group who was there first if you may share areas/spawns. It's this lack of politeness and courtesy that infuriates and frustrates many players, which ultimately leads to arguments and conflicts. Yes, some zones in Norrath are over-crowded, so at times it's hard to find spawns to kill for yourself if all the good hunting areas are camped, but nevertheless if there is one thing I've learned in my time playing this game, it's that courtesy will get you everywhere!

Immaturity

Kill Stealing is, and always has been, an annoyance, but what really gets on my nerves is the amount of immaturity I see in some players these days. Sure, each server has its jokers and troublemakers, but they seem to be multiplying...

I've seen many threads and read many articles on this subject, and one thing I've noticed a lot of people say is that you can't tell a person's age based on their actions in the game. I tend to disagree in most cases. Having been a part of the gaming industry for many years, in various different communities, it's not that hard to determine whether a player is young or old. I say in "most" cases, as I have come across some very mature younger players, and some very immature older players in terms of their age, but in most cases I'd say I've made fairly good guesses based on watching people's physical actions and their interactions with others through chat.

Players who, in public chat, excessively complain, taunt other people, argue with others, continually use profanity, and generally cause lots of other players who are trying to enjoy their EverQuest experiences to comment, just do not belong in the game. Yes, in some situations the tension and frustration levels are high and it's hard to sometimes hold yourself back from commenting in an excessive manner. However, I see people who have no regard for the others in the zone, even though they are more than capable of using private messaging to resolve conflicts with other players. Players often assume that the use of /ooc (Out of Character Chat) gives them a license to type whatever they want, often standing behind the very lame argument that "if you don't want to read it, simply ignore it," when in actuality, /ooc chat does not give you the right to use profanity, harass, or abuse others. Check the "Play Nice Policies;" It's in there.

Respecting the People Around You

Velious

When you start a new character for the first time, you're considered "naked." You have no armor, a default weapon which does little damage, and not much of anything else. It's therefore not uncommon to see a "newbie" ask those of a higher level for donations of armor, weapons, or money to buy things. I've started many characters before and can often survive perfectly fine on my own without the need for donations. That's not to say that asking for donations is a bad thing. However, there are newbies in Norrath who expect higher-ups to bend over backwards to help them. Begging, while considered a "skill" in EverQuest, doesn't give anyone the right to harass others. I've seen newbies who have gotten all uptight with you when you give them anything less than between 10pp and 50pp!! That kind of expectation is just not justified.